Some of your WhatsApp chats are about catching up with friends, while others might contain sensitive information. Thankfully, WhatsApp is now rolling out a feature that helps you easily identify which conversations have an extra layer of security – end-to-end encryption.
Reportedly, WhatsApp is working on a new end to end encrypted (E2EE) label that will show between the chats, confirming that the chats are encrypted or not.
This feature is reported by WABetaInfo, which is a reliable source for WhatsApp updates, and it states: “WhatsApp is rolling out a new update through the Google Play Beta Program, bringing the version up to 2.24.6.11. What’s new in this update? WhatsApp is rolling out a feature to indicate when chats are end-to-end encrypted, and it’s available to some beta testers!”
What is the New Feature?
This update introduces a label within your chats that displays "end-to-end encrypted" along with a lock icon. It appears underneath the contact or group name at the top of the chat window. However, this label isn't permanent – it will only be visible for a few seconds before disappearing to make way for the usual "last seen" indicator.
WABetaInfo mentions: “As you can see in this screenshot, a new caption to identify end-to-end encrypted chats is available under the contact and group name within your conversations. With this enhancement, users are always aware when their chats are securely encrypted using the Signal protocol, serving as a visual confirmation that nobody can read their messages and listen to their calls. It is important to note that this caption disappears after a few seconds so the last seen info can appear.”
What are the Benefits of the New End to End Encrypted Feature?
End-to-end encryption scrambles the content of your messages and calls, making them unreadable by anyone except you and the recipient(s). This means that even WhatsApp itself cannot access the information you share in these chats. This new label provides a clear visual confirmation of this added security layer, offering greater transparency and peace of mind.
WABetaInfo states: “In our opinion, this information helps users get an additional confirmation that their conversations are encrypted, further educating them about the security measures implemented by WhatsApp. We consider making the encryption status promptly visible at the top of the chat interface like a proactive approach to remind people regarding the security status of their conversations.”
Where is this New Feature Available?
This functionality is currently in the beta testing phase, meaning it's only available to a limited group of WhatsApp users on Android. However, it's likely to see a wider rollout in the coming weeks, potentially for both Android and iOS users.
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